Combined cupboard and dumb-waiter.



PATENTED NOV. 6, 1906.

I. G. FRY. COMBINED CUPBOARD AND DUMB WAITBR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.I6.1906.

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GUMBINED CUPBOARD AND DUMB WAITER.

APPLICATION TILED JAN.1B.1906

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFF ICE.

COMBINED CUPBOARD AND DUMB-WAITER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 6, 1906.

Application filed January 16, 1906. Serial No. 296,352.

'1'0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, InvIN G. FRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Picture Rocks, in the county of Lycoming and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and use ful Improvements in a Combined Cupboard and Dumb-Waiter, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a combined cupboard and dumb-waiter, and has for its objects to produce a comparatively simple inexpensive device of this character which will normally stand at rest in the cellar of a house, one wherein the cabinet or receptacle will be locked in normal position and may be readily released, and one wherein the cabinet will when released be automatically projected to position for permitting removal of its contents.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character in which the cabinet will be guided in its movements, one wherein the contents of the cabinet will be properly protected from dust and the like, and one wherein ready access may be had to the cupboard when in its normal position.

With these and other objects in view the invention comprises the novel features of construction and combination of parts more fully hereinafter described.

In the-accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a device embodying the invention and showing the cabinet in projected condition. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the device. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section centrally through the device and showing the cabinet in normal position.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the floor of a building, 2 the room-space above the flo0r,and 3 the cellar-space beneath the floor, there being provided in the floor 1 an opening 4 of communication. between the spaces 2 and 3.

Arranged in the space 3 beneath the floor 1 and in line with the opening 4 is a shaft 5, including vertical guide-pieces or timbers 6, connected at their lower ends by a baseplate 7, there being arranged for vertical movement in the shaft and through the opening 4 a cabinet 8, subdivided by shelves or partitions 9 into a plurality of vertically-spaced compartments and equipped with guide-rollers 10, adapted to travel on the guide-pieces 6,

while resting upon the base-piece 7 beneath the lower end of the cabinet is a normally compressed. actuating-spring 11, on which the cabinet rests when in depressed condition within the'shaft 5.

Journaled for rotation in bearing members orhangers 12, attached. to the floor 1 and at opposite sides of the shaft 5, are uide-pub leys 13, on which are arranged for travel flexible traction elements or cables 14, at tached at one end, respectively, to the side walls of the cabinet and having their free ends equipped with operating-weights 15, which serve, through the medium of the cables, for raising the cabinet to project the same into the space 2 above the floor, there being attached to the side walls of the cabi net bracket members or abutments 16, arranged to contact with the lower ends of bufiensprings 17, suitably attached to the floor and serving to cushion thecabinet at the completion of its upwai d movement.

Pivoted in suitable bearings 18 to the baseplate 7 is a rock-shaft 19, provided with a substantially L sha ed crank-arm 20, to which is pivoted the ower end of a tripping rod or member 21, having bearing at its upper end in a suitable openin in the floor l and adapted to project slightly above the latter, there being formed on the shaft 19 and at right angles to the crank-arm 20 a latching member or arm 22, having an engaging gortion 23, adapted for engagement with a lock or keeper 24, attached to the rear wall and adjacent the bottom of the cabinet 8, while attached to one of the guides is a spring 25, having at its outer end a'loop which embraces the rod 21, whereby the spring acts upon the latter for maintaining the latching member 22 normally in engaging position.

Arranged for closing the front side of the shaft 5 is a screen-door 26, connected by hinges 27 to one of the guide-pieces 6 and having a latching-hook 28 to engage a staple 29 on the opposite guide-piece for maintaining the door in closed position, it being noted that this door serves as a closure for the front o en side of the cabinet 8 when the latter is isposed in normal position within the shaft.

In practice the cabinet 8 normally stands in depressed condition to lie within the shaft 5, in which position it is maintained owing to engagement of the latching member 22 with the keeper 24, the weights being under these conditions raised, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and the spring 1 1 compressed. Under these conditions when it is desired to have access to the contents of the cabinet the tripping-rod 21 is depressed, thus rocking the shaft 19 and swinging the latching member out of engagement with the keeper, whereupon the spring 11 in expanding imparts an initial upward movement to the cabinet, which is thereafter projected above the floor 1 and into the room-space 2 by the action of the weights 15 and cables 14, as heretofore explained, it being understood that when the cabinet is again depressed the locking member 22 will move automatically into engagement with the keeper 24 for maintaining the cabinet in depressed position. Access may also be had to the cabinet for placing articles thereinto or removing them therefrom by opening the door 26, which will be readily understood.

It is to be particularly observed that the cabinet will be properly guided in its movements and will, owing to the provision of the guide-rollers 10, move freely upward and downward in the shaft, and, furthermore, that the release of the cabinet to permit its automatic projection above the floor may be convenient y effected by means of the tripping member or red 2].

Having described my invention, what I claim as new is In a device of the class described, a floor having an opening, guide members sustained beneath the floor, a cabinet arranged for movement through the opening and between the guide members, guide-pulleys 'ournaled on the cabinet for travel on the guides, a keeper carried by the cabinet, a latching member mounted to swing in a vertical plane and adapted for engagement with the keeper to lock the cabinet in normal position, a crankarm connected with the latching member, a tripping-rod engaged with the crank-arm and projected above the floor, a spring for maintaining the latching membernormally in engaging position, means for automatically moving the cabinet upward when released, an actuating-spring disposed beneath the cabinet and for imparting an initial up ward movement thereto, a butler-spring connected with and dependent from the floor and a bearing member fixed on the cabinet for contact with the spring when the cabinet is in raised position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

IRVIN G. FRY.

Witnesses:

JOHN ROLLER, BERTIIA NEVEL. 

